1/8/11-Reflections from Tucson

Photo 1: the line of people waiting speak to Congressman Ron Barber.

The Circle is complete.

a photo of President Kennedy, Arizona Senator Carly Hayden, and Congressman Morris Udall looks over Gabby's appearance at the Ron Barber GOTV rally at Pima County Democratic HQ.

On January 8, 2011 I was headed to the Pima County Democratic Party bi-annual reorganization meeting when I saw Gabby and Daniel Hernandez's tweets about the Congress on Your Corner event. I almost headed out to see and take pictures of Gabby instead of attending the morning workshops.  However, there was one workshop I wanted to attend and I knew there would be other opportunities to see her.

Gabby and me, Summer 2010

1 year and 14 days after she was shot, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords has announced she will resign from Congress later this week.

Some of the photos I've taken of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords over the years.

It seems like a lifetime ago that I took this picture of Gabby during her appearance at Pima County Nucleus Club meeting, but in reality it was only 1-1/2 years ago.

Today marks the one year anniversary of that tragic event that changed the lives of so many people. Many positive things have come from this tragedy, and that makes me proud to be a Tucsonan. The parents of Christina-Taylor Green and Gabe Zimmerman have turned the grief of losing a child into something positive for the community. From his ICU hospital bed, Ron Barber started what would become the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding.

Together We Heal produced by Arizona Public Media about the events of January 8th and the aftermath as the survivors and Tucson as a whole began the healing process.

From one of the last nights that the memorials would be in place. Nicole and I made one last late night visit to both. She hadn't been back since that first Sunday and was awestruck how large they had gotten.